# Japan Forum > Japanese Language & Linguistics >  Do you speak Japanese ?

## Maciamo

Just to know everyone's level and who to ask questions to in the Nihongo lounge, I'd like to know what's your level in Japanese.

I have started last year and I am almost conversational. I understand better written Japanese (I love Kanji !! :Note:   :Joyful:  ).

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## moyashi

hmmm I failed the Japanese Language Proficency Test 7 years back by 1.5% ... I had a horrible hang over and just cleared managing to keep what was breakfast where it belonged.

hmmm ... I wonder ??? I write horrible but read XXX number of Kanji and speak 100% in Japanese (fluently? no. Understandably? hmm matter of asking my victims )

lollololol where do I fit?

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## samuraitora

moyashi...I am begining to like you more and more...sounds like me in my senior year trying to take my final exam...lol

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## deborah gormley

Just greeting for me I'm afraid :Bawling:  but willing to learn more :Note:

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## moyashi

@samuraitora
oops that was level 2 eh! It was a great way to test my actual level though  :Smilie: 

Thanks!

My friends hated taking me drinking. Especially, after the night I got accepted to uni. I downed half a bottle of Johhny Walker. Passed out on some country road. They put me in the car (don't remember that) I remember hanging out the window and blowing. Next part I remembered was that I couldn't put the key into the house door. Next was my mother dragging me in the house. She didn't mind that evening but I got .... warned pretty heavly too not, reapeat not, do it again.

lolololo, I waited until college to repeat that performance.

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## samuraitora

@moyahisan
we do have similar pasts...lol

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## Harvey

4 years high school, 4 years college, 1 year in Japan, in Japan again now, job interviews were in Japanese, working now in Japan for an American company, but, Japanese everywhere.

Fluent? Is anyone?

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## samuraitora

@ Harvey
I need some more practice to get back my Fluent'ness...lol

@ Moyashi
Where did you go to College?

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## moyashi

UCSB ... used to be a playboy Top 10 party spot for Halloween. 50,000+ people crammed into 1km of town.

Now, still famous for surfing and Nobel prize winners.

oh well

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## Scott

I'd say I'm about the level "Know the Kanas but Still Pretty Much a Beginner" on that list. I know how to read/write hiragana and am now working on katakana. I'm learning how to speak as well but haven't been studying too too long yet. I'll gain more experience with time I guess. By the way, where exactly do you go to take Japanese Language Proficency Test? Is it something only available to college students?

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## miyuki

Informations... 
I got these data from the net.
You'd better to ask them about details. 

(1) Jitsuyo- Nihongo Kentei(J.Test)

begginners` 
cost/ \2,100
Every year/Month 1,4,6,9,11
Sapporo,Sendai,Tokyo,Nagoya,Osaka,Fukuoka etc.,
<Nihongo Kentei Kyokai>  F03-3368-8106
e-mai [email protected] 

(2)Jyokyu- Nihongo Kentei
J.TEST 850` 
cost/\2,300
Every year/ Month 6,11
Sapporo,Sendai,Tokyo,Nagoya,Osaka,Fukuoka etc.,
<Nihongo Kentei Kyokai>  F03-3368-8106
e-mai [email protected] 

(3)Nihongo No-ryoku shiken
You've studied over 900 hours ...Level 1 class test 
over 600 hours ...Level 2
over 300 hours ...Level 3
over 150 hours ...Level 4 


cost/\5,200
Application / Aug.9 ` Sep.16 
Test / Dec.5
Hokkaido,Tokyo,Kanagawa,Aichi,Kyoto,Osaka,Hyogo,Hi roshima,Fukuoka
You can buy application form at big book shops in your town.
<Nihon Kokusai Kyoiku Kyokai> 

(4)Jetro Business Nihongo No-ryoku Test 
cost/Level 1...6,500 
2...5,500 
3...5,500 
JOCT(passed Level1)...9,000 
Application / Feb 8 ` March 24
<Jetro Tokyo >
 F03-3587-1143
e-mai [email protected]

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## Scott

Arigato. So these tests all have to be taken in Japan?

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## miyuki

Home page URL:<Nihon Kokusai Kyoiku Kyokai> 
http://www.aiej.or.jp/examination/jlpt_guide_e.html
They say...Test will be held both in Japan and abroad.

Please send e-mails to each associations on the list or ask book shops or Japanese language schools in your town.

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## samuraitora

@ Scott
Some of the major cities here in the states have the tests too.
I know of 3 Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York...I think there may be a few more.

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## Scott

Oh, thanks. Do you know if Detroit has one as im about 15 minutes away? I'm not interested in taking it now of course but I think I probably will want to take it in the future.

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## samuraitora

I remember if Detroit has it or not...Where are you???
I am in Troy.

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## Scott

I'm in Grosse Ile.

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## Diana

I think you must know at least 2,000 kanji's to take the Proficiency test. Am I right? I know around 200 now, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to reach the proficiency level. Good luck to you, Scott! Hiragana and Katakana are easy, but the kanji's are totemo muzukashii.

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## moyashi

The number depends on the level. About 2000 would put you in the level 2 or 1 categories.

Although, their is also a kanji test in Japan  :Smilie:

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## Scott

Whew that's scary! 2000 kanji?!? WOAH! There definetly are that many though. Isn't there a recommended amount that the Japanese should know on to read on a daily basis? Is learning 2000 kanji even possible for a gaijin? Right now that seems like an impossible feat to acomplish. They look so hard to write and intricate compared to the curvy hiragana and straight katakana. Oh well....I'm up for the challenge.  :Smilie:

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## moyashi

Kanji are not that hard. If you're really into them get a book on Japanese Calligraphy or penmenship. ONE thing is to really learn the stroke order. You shouldn't cut corners on that.

If you can handle the hiragana and katakana. Kanji is just the next step. Both of the simplier phonetic systems came from kanji characters anyways. So the mechcanics are there. Just time to put the blocks together.

Writing them is one of the funniest parts for me. It's like a high, especially when your kanji looks really good and symetrical.

2000, should be enough.

The Japanese drill them every day which makes it easier for them.

You can do the same or take it easier and learn ones at your own pace and/or in your own order. Order doesn't necessarily have to follow the prescribe one that the Japanese follow.

cheers

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## samuraitora

what is the perscribed order???

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## Scott

_肪Ƃ_B That really helped me out alot. I have 2 more questions. I was looking in a book called You Can Write Chinese! and it looked to me like the chinese characters were the same as Japanese Kanji. Is this true? Also, what is the real purpose of Kanji? Why not just write everything in hiragana and katakana?

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## moyashi

@prescribed order
The Ministry of Education has all the Kanji broken down to what year of school they should be learned in. I think that list is even sometimes at the back of Kanji dictionaries. hmmm, I wonder if it's on the net somewhere?

@kanji
Kanji is originally form China. Japan, I believe never did have an indigenous writting system. So they borrowed the Chineses while they were busy borrowing a bunch of other things.

Japanese Kanji are actually older forms than what China uses today. The Chinese has gone on and simplified many of theirs. Also, of course, some kanji are gonna mean different words. So Japanese "letter" will equal Chinese' "toilet paper"  :Smilie: 

Why not hiragana and katakana. .... ughhhh, too many words sound the same just like in English "pair" and "pear" so you'd have to pay more attention to context and actually it would take more time to read.

Way back when. Woman we're stuck to wrtting only hiragana, and men to kanji or katakana. a Kanji is a symbol and makes picking up the meaning of a sentence much quicker.

yes, learning to read and write is hell, but once you've gotten to a certain stage you are still in hell but that hell has a different feel to it and it's not so bad anymore.

@hiragana
hmmm this board is still having trouble with "a" and "ya"

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## Scott

Thanks alot, moyashi. With your help this is all slowly starting to make sense.  :Smilie:  I'll be on the lookout for that list.

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## Mirai Naza-kun

Meh. Higher begginer/lower intermediate.

My reading in kana is quite good, but I know only like 20 kanji.

My grammar is okay.

I know about 50-60 words. Or more; I never counted.

I've been teaching myself.

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## Tomii515

Hmmm. I would probably say High Beginner/Low Intermediate.
I know all the Hiragana and probably most of Katakana.
Hmm...I don't know how many words I know...a lot?!??!?
I'm very good at grammer, so that's a big +.
I don't really know a lot of kanji... I only know how to write about 5 - 10 kanji. If I can't remember how to write it, but know what it says... Probabaly 20 - 25 or those... maybe more, IDK. (BTW: what does "JLPT#" mean?)

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## Wong

> (BTW: what does "JLPT#" mean?)


JLPT = Japanese Language Proficiency Test. {\͎ł܂B

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## j-a-t

Hiya all,

I'm fairly low level. Can speak japanese ok, well enough to order beer and get myself out of trouble. My comprehension is higher than my speaking but I guess everyone gets that. My main let down seems to normally be vocabulary. As for writing, just getting back into it. ok with the kana's. Sometimes forget one but normally figure it out. As for Kanji, know the meaning of around 50, but that is what I am working on at the moment. Kanji is hard tho, fun but hard. But i guess it is true. Every picture does tell a story  :Poh:

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## kamaru

I voted for "Know the kanas, but still pretty much beginner ".Actually I also know many greetings , some grammar and sentence structuring .As for the kanji I know about 15.Does that qualify me to be a "High beginner/lower intermediate (JLPT4)".

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## ShimizuChiaki

Japanese is my native language.

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## Katarushuisu~

voted for "Know the kanas, but still pretty much beginner" :Blush:  
I know all the hiragana and i'm teaching myself katakana because my class moves too slow...
my japanese pronunciation in really bad... :Sad:  
i can introduce myself and i can point out objects and tell what they are and thats about it... :Sou ka:

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## Cierzo

I had choose "know the kanas, but..." too.
I did learn all kana quickly (1 week to hiragana, 1 month to katakana because i was "dispersed" with my job), ItLs easy I think.
After begin with usual expressions and grammar.
I can compose single sentences (but with a short vocabulary I think) in form masu/desu, use of adverbs and adjetives, etc.

This days, I am learning expressions with -te + iru/aru etc., although ILm quite beginner in verbs declinations and clasification on conjugation groups.

Fortunately I have a japanese friend-penpal who is learning spanish and we do language exchange by mail 3-4 times at month. ItLs very useful to correct mistakes.


ILm teaching to myself with text downloaded from the net and a kanji method book, a grammar book and a dictionary, but iLm confused about that way I must take to learn japanese well. Then, ILm "anarchist" in my learning and this limits my progression. Any advice about this?

I have no much time to study, I work 10-14 hours daily as truck driver. I can only stud at some pauses between driving and I canLt concentrate rightly. At home, no much time more. I must sleep sometimes!

Today I learned the #100 kanji, but... I still donLt know how to pronounce the kanjis that I learn. ILm learning kanji with "Remembering tha Kanji" book.
ItLs quick and secure to non forget it, but first teach the meaning and writing; the 2nd book will teach the reads. The order is not the most useful kanji, but with common elements.
So, I type in kana without kanji.

Oopss! No more time now 

(ILm sorry if my poor english hurt your eyes, hehe)

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## psychochou

͂͂IłAłB
I haven't been studying that long.

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## hkBattousai

I will start reading children's books soon. I'm still learning kanji.

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## MrWabu

I passed JLPT level 2 last year, but if I took it again this year, I'm sure I'd fail due to lack of study. 

Regarding preparation, I think studying vocab. and doing plenty of mock tests before hand helped me get the grade. My listening comprehension rose significantly because of regular practice listening questions. Most of the mock stuff came from the "Nihongo Journal", a Japanese monthly publication that includes sample questions for preparation. Yamasa (my language school) subscribed to it so had plenty of old copies for me to use.

I also got a Kanji game for the PS2 (in Japan). I forget the name but allows you to practice for the main Kanji test at various levels. If I remember right, I could get level 6 or 7 on that. Although I did not sit that Kanji exam, I feel it helped a bit with the "Goi" section of JLPT that includes Kanji comprehension.

Regarding children's books... I have a translated version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and although I can follow the story it is quite difficult to fully understand. Reading books (as opposed to manga) should be quite useful for the reading part of JLPT.

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## Niedy

I'm in between Level 2 and 3... i kinda failed my joyokanji exam (in university) recently... you shouldn't try studying 1000 kanji (I already know the other half) in 1 week... ^^;;; well... there'll be another chance soon... I'll be ready than... other than that, as long as I know the vocabs I usually am able to understand anything normal (like newspapers, etc) but when it comes to writing my own stuff or speaking... i really suck... >.< we seldom need it in university, so I lack practice...

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## Ahega

For the language course I'm taking next years February they sended me a test for intermediate level but.. it was way to easy o_&#244;
I guess the biggest problem are the Kanji >_< (even they are a ot of help to make things clearer when it comes to understanding)

@Niedy: xD omg... I found a fellow student! Good luck for the test!!

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## Sarah Jane

I know a ton of words.
Quite a few songs off by heart.
And some phrases here and there.


I want to become as fluent as I can though.  :Smiling:

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## Tetsu

Watashi wa nihongo o hanasimasu. Nihongo wa kari masuka?

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## justin

I took a few classes and in a year or so I'm going to take another. Right now I'm practicing on my own.

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## CrimsonNataku

I've studied Japanese for nearly 4 years. I've taken several classes, and at a Japanese Language Immersion camp, I was in the most advanced class. 

I don't consider myself by any means an expert, but I do tutor a few students in Japanese.

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## Basdlah

Did three years at college, but didn't learn to say much.

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## irish-j-rock-fan

ok me and japanese learning isnt that good i always wanted to know how to speek in japanese but my mum wont let me she dosnt even want me to go there ( dont know y tho TT__TT) but i know like hello and sorry and cute lol thats it TT__TT but i want need to know more tho.

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## Aoi.

I just know a few words and phrases, stuffs like that. But I'm trying~

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## Homerduff

I know all the hiragana, a big amount of katakana, some usefull expressions and words, basic grammar and basic particles. but I maybe know like a handfull of kanji so I cant read japanese (even if its written in hiragana, I still lack vocabulary). Anyway I started like a month ago, so its pretty normal.

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## Ghik

I can read hiragana and katakana, I know the basic grammar. I also recognize about 300-400 kanji, but I know only their meanings - I can't read them. My vocabulary is rather tiny, though.

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## KirinMan

I can read 'kana and an uncountable number of kanji, but I do not write it very well at all. However I can speak the language rather well.

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## midori21

I only know some phrases. I don't really know how to write in kanji, katana and hiragana^ ^ Only romanji^ ^

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## Emy Hashim

hi there! i'm an enthusiastic beginner in learning japanese...hehe...you know what, i took japanese as one of my subject in my B Ed. TESL degree...frankly speaking, it's quite hard but if u're really inerested to getting know them better then all things will be going smooth...God's willing...=) 

now i would like to learn mandarin as well since my grandmother is a chinese...but she don't know how to speak chinese because she was raised by a Malay family before she got married with my handsome grandfather - a Malay man...hehehe...in Malaysia, mixed marriage inter multiracial is a normal matter...

p/s:who wants to learn Malay from me??? -wink-

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## dan_j

i no a greeting or 2 hi/bye and sum other words.... i voted "Just a few words or phrases (greetings, etc)" 
dont no how 2 read or write/type it

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## Yusupov

話せることは話せるんですがまだまだだね。もっと練習した方がいいと思うよ。でも、練習すると人がいないん 。

I speak a little Japanese, but there really isn't anyone to practice with so I'm not as good as I'd like to be obviously. I'm taking a language course at school right now though so hopefully that will help remedy the problem somewhat.

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## bexchurnside

> @ miyuki
> your school board seems quite tough!! but if thats the way its done , then so be it!! I dont know any kanji yet, it frightens me so much I cant discribe it, but maybe if I was brought up in an enviroment that needed kanji things might be sooo different!!! 
> I find kanji facinating with its meaning and terms of interpretation, and thats the frightening bit, lol


Deborah, it seems tough to us, many of having BA's in Japanese couldn't best them, if we even tried. If these folks go to cram school and work their best in their mother tougue vs us, well, you can guess. But then, you go to Japan, and see that these so called English teachers have a terrible command of the English language. I know many high school students would draw circles over them. So the same is simply reversed. They would think what are we doing with an entire BA with less than what the Japanese get for their minimum educational requirement. These kids have it in their bones to learn. 

You know, many envy our English skills that are recongized worldwide. Japanese on the other hand is pretty much useless outside of either Japan or in situations outside of Japan, outside of Japanese corporate environment. 
Even in Sao Paulo or Hawai'i, the Nikkeijin do speak English adequately enough that we really don't need to learn Japanese to get around. 

The Japanese also do not ever expect us to try taking them on in the language sparing game. I talk here in competitive terms, as that is their way of thinking. Only the Kikokushijo is made to play catch up, and in some cases, the Nikkeijin who have citizenship. Many of them do go through the daunting task of playing catch up, but we need not envy. My boyfriend said that he was forced into the game where he is made to learn to not get socially outcasted, and have a good job. And many of them learn Japanese out of necessity and duty, and not out of interest like many of us do, choosing this culture. Theirs being choiceless, or almost choiceless makes the task while apparently easier to do than for us, less enjoyable, with the love of it more often than not, absent. When your hair is strawberry blond like mine, even slightly unnatural but so so well spoken Japanese is only applauded by them. 

So let them be, and we do what we do in our own category.

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## Seiryuu

私はちょっと日本語を分かります。

それに、日本語で書くが難しいです。

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## mico

nobody to practice with. so even i know the basic grammar structures, probably i will no be able to go to higher level  :Sad:  
just like jackkrone, i mastered hiragana, but i dont understand the rules for katakana. the only problem for learning the kanji and vocabulary is memory matter. can't remember things that fast. must practice everyday. but once again, nobody to practice with so i won't know if i'm making mistakes  :Doubt:

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## YinginSui

I do not know much of the words, to tell anyone here the truth. It's a fact that I pick up some words and kanji from friends in Nihon, but I never really learned much of the grammar, but indeed relying on replacing words in sentences I somehow memorize when my Japanese friends are talking in their native tongue. I'd love to learn Japanese and go to Japan one day, as well as learn some from several Japanese people here. ^.^

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## Ebu Huzeyfe

*I desire to learn at least a basic Japanese so much. It seems no way at the moment. I have some books and dictionaries but need to practice with some Japanese through corresponding.*

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## LincolnJackson2

Hi how you guys doing. I desire to improve my japanese conversation skills. I have sub par lvl 4 jplt understanding of grammar, therefore I failed the test by 5&#37;. Plan to take it again this year so if anyone wants to just shot grammar points, vocabulary, questions or just conversation I'm game. Oh and my roma-ji (romanized japanese) is not that great. Ganbatte kudasai.

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## Tokyofan25

just a few basic words,that's all

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## ToroMay

i'm learning korean at the moment.
shall start japanese when i complete my korean courses.

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## kiedistidus

i want to learn japanese but it looks so hard im going next year and i dont want to be a lost tourist

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## Goldiegirl

Beginner even sounds to advanced for me! I know some simple phrases. I know how to spell my last name as well. That's about it. I am learning though.  :Smilie:

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## Riette

more than greetings, but below sentence constructions. -simple sentences only- i will accept all the help i can take~ domo arigato  :Laughing:

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## 82riceballs

i'm a so/so person. my grandparents speak japanese and claim that my japanese is horrible, but i think i'm improving now that i'm taking lessons from an awesome teacher. i might get a 80% on jlpt 4 test if i'm lucky :Poh: .

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## Han Chan

I speak japanese more or less like a child - thats why people call me Han chan. :Wavey:

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## Soloistic

Level 3 JLPT3 really considered intermediate? I find that kinda hard to believe. I am just under level 3 with grammar and vocab, but I only know about 120 Kanji so far.

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## Charles Barkley

> Level 3 JLPT3 really considered intermediate? I find that kinda hard to believe. I am just under level 3 with grammar and vocab, but I only know about 120 Kanji so far.



Yeah, I thought the same thing. But when you consider that so many of the people who use this site do not live in Japan and are more interested in the culture than serious study, you can see why the poll is heavily weighted towards beginner levels.

I would categorize a low pass of JLPT 3 as lower intermediate. A very high pass as middle intermediate. A just fail of JLPT 2 as high intermediate. And a pass of JLPT 2 as the first step to advanced.

But of course its an entirely arbitrary category.

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## Mike Cash

> Level 3 JLPT3 really considered intermediate?


The phenomenon known as "the soft bigotry of low expectations". Goes hand-in-hand with the study of the Japanese language.

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## epigene

> Level 3 JLPT3 really considered intermediate? I find that kinda hard to believe. I am just under level 3 with grammar and vocab, but I only know about 120 Kanji so far.


I agree with Mike about how the Levels are assessed, at least in this thread. (Can't someone do something about how the levels are described?)

In terms of functionality and practical usage in the native Japanese-speaking environment, I think Level 3 and lower are regarded rudimentary. Level 2 is basic language usage (maybe intermediate, if the word has to be used), and Level 1 is "nearest to native" but not native level YET (unless you score near-perfect or perfect)...  :Blush:

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## FrustratedDave

> I agree with Mike about how the Levels are assessed, at least in this thread. (Can't someone do something about how the levels are described?)
> In terms of functionality and practical usage in the native Japanese-speaking environment, I think Level 3 and lower are regarded rudimentary. Level 2 is basic language usage (maybe intermediate, if the word has to be used), and Level 1 is "nearest to native" but not native level YET (unless you score near-perfect or perfect)...


I don't consider level 1 near native either, there far more to learn after attaining your level one.

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## xFanGirl

Im bizzy to learn Japans,,
Its a very nice language!! :Wavey: 

Konnichiwa^^Thirsa Desu^^Ogenki desu ka?Sayounara :Wavey: 


(Do i typ it right? :Relieved: )

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## Apheleon

hmm... I'm learning the grammars...=.= but I know hiragana, katakana and some kanji... that makes I'm teeny weeny bit more of a beginner rite? ^^ Nobody to practice with too.

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## HarajukuxBoy

Well right now,I'm using "Japanese for busy people Volume:I" and Im like 1/4 of the way through that book,and Im still learning my hiragana and katakana.But I got most of the basics down.

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## ajmd20

> Level 3 JLPT3 really considered intermediate? I find that kinda hard to believe. I am just under level 3 with grammar and vocab, but I only know about 120 Kanji so far.


If you ask me all of those JLPT levels there are one too high. There's no way JLPT1 level could be considered native level in my opinion. I didn't know how to answer the poll because I've passed 1, but at most I would just about consider myself at advanced level which is marked as only 2.

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## tada

It's not official yet, but I'm at about JLPT 2-kyuu level. Taking the actual test this year. From some mock-tests, I know this is the right level for me; 3-kyuu is way too easy for me, and 1-kyuu is still over my head.

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## Minty

J'ai oubli comment parler japonais.

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## Kour

Hi there, thought I would introduce myself. Stumbled upon this website and forum today. 

Was transferred to Japan by my company about 8 months ago. Struggling to learn the language but loving it here.

Any recommendations on where to go for a quick 4-5 day holiday?

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## Paruru

oh yes I do. (maybe N1 level)
I also sing in Japanese  :Wavey:

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